Radical question

ok, does anyone know if you can cut a double wide in half? My house is 73' long 4 bedrooms 2 baths.2000 sft
my wife and i are alone now (kids gone) we really just live on one side of our house. We don't want to move we love our 2ac. Lot. We just don't want to keep paying heat
and elec. For 2000 sft if we live in 1000 sft. Any answers are welcome.... Thanks..

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Radical question

The structure of a double wide would not allow you to divide the house and it be stable for the life of the building. It is designed and built to be together.

I would suggest closing off all the rooms you do not use and close off all the vents and lights to the rooms. I would also suggest sealing the bottom of the doors with something to block the air exchange in the room. You will need to open the rooms to allow the stale air out every once in a while, but that should help lower your heating and cooling costs.

Radical question

You would actually have better luck dividing your house lengthwise. If I am not mistaken, the two halves of a double wide are structuraly sound independently. You would then have to build a wall where that the other half had been. You could then sell the other half to offset your costs but I don't know who would want to buy half a doublewide.

To cut your house in half like you are talking about would require the addition of a load bearing wall right upt and including the roof. The expense would likely eclipse any energy savings for many years. The ieda goes beyond radical, it is insane.

Why not do what the previous poster suggested, close off the unused rooms and the heat registers that supply them. That always worked for us in our old single wide. I would leave the under door open though so it doesn't get too cold in those rooms.

Radical question

Insane. yes i know. we are in our 50s and were thinking of moving to a smaller place but this house has everything we like. and it's paid for. we just thought about turning our 4bd into a 2bd and...........are you ready????? using the part we cut off for a garage. we did get an estimate on turning our house into a duplex. it would have 2bds 1bath on both sides. that was around $8000.00 sooooooooo. what do you all think? and if anyone lives in north east ohio are you interested in a project?

Radical question

First I would just consider building an insulated partition wall. Leave the trailer in tact, cut off the air and heat sources to the unused area and use it for storage.

Second, yea cut the trailer. The axles will have to be relocated if it is too every be moved again for balance reasons. The cost of remodeling and disposal will be high, and your utility bills will not be no where near half just because the square footage is half.

Call a trailer dealer, tell them they can have your double wide, if they swap it out with a single wide. You may be able to negotiate a deal that doesn't cost you anything.

Bo
Remember,
If the women don't find you handsome,
they should at least find you handy.
(Red Green)

Radical question

Quote:

Originally Posted by comanche

Insane. yes i know. we are in our 50s and were thinking of moving to a smaller place but this house has everything we like. and it's paid for. we just thought about turning our 4bd into a 2bd and...........are you ready????? using the part we cut off for a garage. we did get an estimate on turning our house into a duplex. it would have 2bds 1bath on both sides. that was around $8000.00 sooooooooo. what do you all think? and if anyone lives in north east ohio are you interested in a project?

If you did this, do you think the value of the house would be effected?
By that I mean lose value.
Spending $8000. to actually lose house value sounds a little crazy.
Ron